Steam generator



May 10, 1932. c. a. ASHWORTH 1,357,331

STEAM GENERATOR Filed May 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR Geo/9c B, fishwofl/l y G. 1;. ASHWORTH 1,857,831

STEAM GENERATOR Filed May 2. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "7: m 2 1 mi 3 II "M? '8 N LO Q; Q E I INVENTOR ATTQ EY Patented May 10, 1932 PATENT OFFICE GEORGE B. ASHWORTH, or AMSTERDAM, NEW YO K srEAM GENERATOR Application filedMay 2, 1929. Serial No. 359,973.

An object of my invention ,is to provide a steam generator, which will occupy a minimum of space,-and give maximum thermal efficiency; which will enable a true reading of'the water in the accumulator to be obtained at all times; and which will enable any one of the steam tubes to be easily removed for repair, without the necessity'of disturbing the others. The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. V

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a steam generator embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side view, in elevation, on an enlarged scale of one of the steam tubes applied in the boiler, showing the manner of its connection to the water and the steam headers; Fig. 3, a transverse section on a still larger scale of 2 one of the joints between the steam tube and a header; Fig. 4, a front view, in elevation, of the same; Fig. 5, a side view, in elevation, of the upper end of the accumulator, the baffle being shown in dotted lines; and, Fig. 6,

a transverse section of the accumulator, taken on the line, VIVI of Fig. 1, Figs. 5 and 6 being enlarged.

In the practice of my invention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiment 80 thereof which is herein exemplified, the looped steam tubes, 10, are housed in a sheet metal shell, 11, of substantially rectangular form having a flue centrally disposed in its upper portion. The shell is lined with a wall 1 85 of heat refractory material, 12. Water headers, 13, are disposed near the bottom of the shell, one near each side thereof, and extend from the front to the rear of the shell. Steam headers, 14, are disposed near the top of the 40 shell, one near each side thereof, and extend from the front to the rear of the shell. A plurality of looped steam tubes, 10, connects each water'header with the steam header disposed directly thereabove. .Each steam tube comprisesa substantially vertical riser, 10a, and a plurality of substantially horizontal laterals, 10b, superposed one above the other,

each lateral being connected to the one next adjacent thereto, by a return bend, 100, The disposition of the tubes is, first one connected to the headerson one side of the shell, then one connected, to the headers 011; the opposite side of the shell, and so on throughoutthe' group. V

The space in-the shell below the laterals constitutes acombustion chamber, 15, for the oil of the burner, 16, and the laterals are spaced apart from each other so as to permit the upward passage therebetween of prodnets of combustion to the flue. To insure a proper supply ofair for combustion purposes, an air pipe, 17, is provided at the front of the shell.

The accumulator, 18, comprising a water and steam chamber, 19, is located outside of the shell, to the rear thereof. A pipe, 14a, leads from each steam header into the upper end of the chamber, 19. The ends of these pipes have a downward bend, so that the steam will be directed toward the bottom of the accumulators. Normally, a supply of water reaching the line ab, Fig. 1, is maintainedin the accumulator. The water is circulated by a pump, 21, being withdrawn thereby from the accumulator, through the suction'pipe, 20, and delivered to the water headers through the delivery pipe, 22.

To replenish the water evaporated into steam, and to maintain the water level inthe accumulator at approximately the line a'b, Fig. 1, an injector, 23, is employed." The suc tion pipe, 24, leads from av suitable water supply, and its delivery pipe, 25, is connected to both the suction pipe, 20, and the delivery pipe, 22, of the pump. This disposition produces immediate mixing of the incoming water with the water already in circulation in the system. The injector is connected to a steam supply pipe, 26, in which is installed a shut-off valve, 26a.

To provide for maintaining circulation in the system, in the event that the circulating pump becomes inoperative, a shut-off valve, 27, is installed in the suction pipe, 20, which valve, when closed, will cause the injector to deliver directly into the pump delivery pipe, 22, instead of to the pum I A steam turret, 28, is mounted on the top of the accumulator, and supports two safety. valves, 29. To provide for atomizing the oil ency, there is installed in the accumulator,

above the normal water lever, a-b,'Fig. 1", a battle, 33, which acts to check-the rising of the Water at the sides of the shell, and the bottom of the water i gauge'is tapped, as shown at 34,

, into the shell, below 'the nor'mal" water level,

and the to'p -of the gauge,is tappedyas shown at .35, above the bottom of the baflie. This constructionprevents water from entering the top of the gauge, and insures the necessar supply 'o'f' -st'eam'at the top thereof, to produce proper registration by the 'ga'uge'.

The battle is a substantially'inverted";trusto-con i'cal shell} 'o'pen at the bottom, and 'formed" offou'r' segments; Itis provided, at its top; with a-verti'eal'annula-r flange, 36, by which it is secured, through rivets, 37, to the Shell of the accumu'l ator.

In ordertoprovidefor convenient'removal of one-of the steam tubes for repair, without disturbing the others, anoveljointureof the ends ofthe tube's to the headers, is-provided. To this 'end each header is provid'ed with a plurality o't spaced circular orifices, the walls of the outer ends' of'which'a're bevelled,- to provide -sea'-t's,- 38, 'for'th'e joint rings, 89. Each joint ring has aftont'and a rear bevelled; seatingi'face, the rear face seating on the bevelled face', 38,=o'f the header, and the from; facefitting" snugly the inner bevelled face of' the fi'ared end, 40,0fthe tube; The ends oft'he tub'e are swa'g'ed to greater diameter than the' remainder'of'thetube', as shown n41.

" Toh'old-thetubesand joint rings in steam tight fitwith the headers, a" clamp, comprisingfront and rear gripping members; 42 and 43, respectively is employed. Each member is I tornried with a middle portion adapted to partially encircle the'header, and two ears, 44', 'having'op'eni'n'gs,4c5, for bolts, 46, by which the members are drawn toward one another 'togrip thetube't'o the header. The face of the midde portion of the rear gripping member,

43, which seats directly on the header, has a curve of slightly larger radius than. the radius of the outside face of the header, so that the pull ofthe bolts, 46,- will be exerted from the point-C, Fig. 3, midway between them, and on the horizontal axis of the tube, thus obviating. pinching action on the tube. The front grippingmem'ber, 42, is formed withia cylindrical bore,.whichsnugly receives the swaged end of the tube. The inner end of the bore is flared to correspond with the outer surface of the flared end of the tube.

In order to economize space, and to reduce weight, the bolts, 46, are placed close to the headers, and spacing washers, 47, are placed on the threaded endsof the. bolts, between the nuts, 48, and the rear gripping member. The spacing washers give a clearance enabling the nuts to be turned. If they werenot used, the ears'o'fthe rear gripping memberwould have to be made of a thick- 'preoipitator comprises a: downwardly turned E elb0w, 49, the end of which isclosed 'bya threaded plug, 50. Sediment collected by theprecipitator can he" removed" by unscrew ing'the plug. 1

An important advantage of 'my invention is-that' the heights of the'risers, the num ber and length of thel'aterals, and theradius-of thereturn' bends can be readily varied to provide a tube unit adapted for installation in any available space. A further adirantage ofthe-inventionis' the 'c'onvenien'cewith which any one of the tubes can be 'removed' forre pairs,without disturbing theothers. A further advantage is the correot registration, by the gauge, of the wa ter level in theaccumulater. A turther advantage'is' the'ec'onomy in space provided by the employmenfioftwo pairs of headers, 13 and '14, which permit a greaternumber ofs'team t'ubes tob'eemployed when desired, for otherwise the number of tubes woulddepend uponthe width of the clamping-members used'in securing thetube to the header.

While the accumulator is shown'inth'e-p'articul ar instance as located exterior of the boiler structure, it may however,- beplaced within theboi'lerstructure in suchmanner as to-be heated by the heat fromthe-product's of combustion coming fromthe fire box, orthe'se gases may be fed to the accumulatorst'ructure when placed outside the boiler structure to impart their heat the'retobefore passing to the atmosphere. As isobviousth'e products of combustionshou-ld preferably act upon the accumulator throughout its whole length or'atleast down to a point below-the low water level. To advantageously provide for this, the accumulator may beraised' tot'he desired amount.

While one of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been described it is to be understood that various changes in form proportions, material and assembly may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An accumulator for steam generators, comprising a chamber having a steam space, and a water space; a steam inlet to the steam space; and a battle, disposed in said chamber around the walls of the same, above the normal water level, and adapted to resist the tendency of the water to rise at the side walls of the chamber, when steam impinges on the surface of the water and providing a ceniral open passageway for steam in said chamer. 1 2. An accumulator for steam generators, comprising a chamber, having a steam space and a water space; a steam inlet to the steam space; a bafile, disposed in said chamber, above the normal water level, extending in-' wardly from the side walls of said chamber and providing an open central steam passageway therein, and adapted to resist the tendencyof the waterto rise at the side walls of the chamber, when steam impinges on the surface of the water; and a water gauge having one end tapped into the water space of the chamber, and its other end tappedinto the steam space of the chamber above the bottom of the bafile.

3. An accumulator for steam generators, comprising a substantially cylindrical chamber, having a steam space and a water space;

' and a baflie, disposed in said chamber, above and comprising a the normal Water level, flange attached to a wall of the chamber, and an inverted frusto-conical shell open at the center, for the passage of steam.

4. In a steam generator, the combination of a steam generating chamber; an accumulator; a water header, and a steam header, within said chamber, said headers communicating with the accumulator; a plurality. of steam generating tubes each communicating with the two headers; a water circulating pump; a passageway for withdrawing water from the accumulator and delivering it directly to the pump; a passageway for delivering water from the pump directly to the water header; and feed water supplying means comprising an injector and a branched conduit communicating with the injector, one of said branches leading to the passageway for withdrawing water from the accumulator, and the other of said branches leading to the passageway for delivering water from the pump to the water header.

5. An accumulator for steam generators, comprising a vertical cylindrical chamber having a steam space at its upper part and a water space below the steam space; a conduit 

